What a crazy election season! COVID alone made it strange, but our former president made it surreal. His refusal to accept the election results crossed the border of fantasy lend without a passport. And then, after the results were in the dozens of lawsuits were thrown out of court, it got scary. Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol to stop the formal certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Whoever would have believed it? We kept writing up this post-election piece and then putting it on hold until the next thing happened.

The People’s Alliance Political Action Committee is pleased to announce that along with our pollworkers, volunteers, and electoral partners including the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Democratic Party, we helped Durham deliver a historic margin for Democratic candidates. Durham’s percentage of vote for Democratic candidates was about 80%, with Governor Cooper gaining 82%! The margin of votes was equally impressive and historic – Cooper’s margin was over 117,000! The Biden-Harris ticket garnered a net 112,000 votes from our county alone. Durham is only the state’s fourth largest county, but in terms of progressive voting we punch like the much larger Wake and Mecklenberg. Don’t think statewide candidates haven’t seen how much Durham can do.

We want to offer hearty thanks to all of our conscientious and dedicated pollworkers and volunteers, and our sincere congratulations to our candidates who won election, including Governor Cooper, Attorney-General Stein, Auditor Beth Wood, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and member of Congress David Price. We also want to congratulate our legislative delegation, and our incoming first all-female Board of Commissioners and the first Muslim-American elected official in NC, Nida Allam! We also offer our congratulations to incoming Conservation District Soil and Water Supervisor Anjali Boyd!

We wish we could have carried the Biden-Harris ticket and other statewide candidates to victory; we thank Yvonne Holley, Jenna Wadsworth, Wayne Goodwin, Jessica Holmes, Jen Mangrum, and Ronnie Chatterji for their outstanding efforts and wish them well. This state-wide Democratic ticket was unprecedented in its inclusion of people of color and more specifically black women. We believe this bodes well for the future of a more diverse government for the people of North Carolina that will work for the interests of working people.

Now Joe Biden and Pamela Harris are in office. How quickly they are restoring dignity and compassion to our nation’s highest offices. After four years of a president who actively sowed seeds of division and whose administration thrived on falsehoods and fear, President Biden and Vice-president Harris offer  a message of unity, of open-handedness, of tolerance, patience, and of truthfulness.

In Durham, PA’s work cannot stop. There is no time to rest on our laurels. The work of justice, equity, and democracy is more important now than it ever has been.

Friends,

Anyone who knows me knows I am not prone to hyperbole. 

But while the GOP’s irresponsibility on COVID-19 is rightly the story of the day, the biggest story should still be President Trump’s campaign to delegitimize the November election in an effort to steal the election.

(Skip to the end of this email for a concrete way to take action and protect our democracy!)

I consider myself a progressive and a patriot. Despite acknowledging our failings and deficiencies, I believe in contributing meaningfully to the American project of strengthening our union and striving to live up to our ideals. Twice in my life, I have taken the following oath:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same…”

The first time was as a high schooler when I had the great fortune to attend American Legion Badger Boys State and be elected and sworn in as Governor. The second time was more official: as a Peace Corps Volunteer serving our country abroad.

I dislike President Trump on many levels: I abhor his politics, I am repulsed by his embrace of white supremacy, and I don’t have a frame of reference to comprehend his shameless dishonesty. I have disliked other U.S. Presidents and have rallied, protested, donated and voted in response, but Donald Trump is the first president who I believe is a threat to our democracy and our constitution. Donald Trump has made my oaths real to me.

The surest way we can protect our democracy is to defeat Trump clearly and resoundingly. One of the most powerful ways is to contribute to the organizing happening in Durham, NC. North Carolina is ground zero for the Presidential election and the U.S. Senate, and with high enough turnout in Durham, we can help deliver the Senate to the Democrats and the Presidency to Joe Biden.

I know you have given so much and you were so kind to support me in different ways during my own campaign. If you are able to give just a little bit more, there is no better way than to send $25, $100 or $500 to the People’s Alliance PAC. Regardless of your politics, the PA PAC has the turnout operation that can deliver the Durham votes we need to defeat Donald Trump, win the Senate and secure the future of our democracy. And there is no overhead – 100% of your dollars go to direct voter outreach.

$100 will get a mailing card into the hands of 360 Durham voters

$500 will pay for 2.5 days of a poll greeter

We can do this. Please join me. The stakes are just that high.

Be well,

Matt Kopac
Member, People's Alliance PAC

People's Alliance PAC Virtual Endorsement Meeting Scheduled for Monday, August 17

People's Alliance PAC members will meet virtually via Zoom on Monday, August 17 at 6pm to debate and endorse a candidate for the office of Soil and Water District Supervisor and to make a recommendation for a candidate to fill the unexpired term of School Board member Xavier Carson, who has resigned.

An email with the Zoom link to the meeting will be sent to People's Alliance PAC members who are in good standing as of August 15 at 6 pm.

Note that PA PAC did not create questionnaires for the position of Soil and Water Supervisor. Instead, we invited candidates to submit a resume and statement.

PA PAC reached out to all candidates (regardless of party affiliation), and offered them the opportunity to participate in the endorsement process. Those candidates with links below their names chose to participate. Candidates for each office are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors

Anjali Boyd

Statement

Jan Cromartie

Resume

Statement

Patrick Poer

Terence Priester

Biographical Resume

Statement

Jillian Riley

Resume

Statement

The People’s Alliance PAC endorses David Price for the United State House of Representatives District 4. With the end to Republican gerrymandering of congressional districts, all of Durham County now falls with Price’s district. Representative Price’s determination to prioritize federal funding for affordable housing and public transportation addresses two persistent and critical concerns in Durham. We are impressed with Representative Price’s support of H.R.1 which would fundamentally change the role and power of money in elections. We support Representative Price’s commitment to free public education, a progressive tax system, Medicare for all, expanding civil rights legislation to protect LGBTQ people and climate change mitigation. We believe that Representative Price’s is able to leverage his role in the House and as a member of the Appropriations Committee to fight for legislation that reflects PA’s values.

The People’s Alliance PAC endorses Roy Cooper for Governor on North Carolina. We are impressed by Governor Cooper’s demonstrated support for all residents of our state as evidenced by his veto of HB370. We like his brave position against gun violence. With no support from the Republican-controlled General Assembly he issued an executive order strengthening background checks for firearm purchases. He has also used his executive authority to support the LBGTQ community by stopping state funding for organizations that engage in conversion therapy. Governor Cooper’s position on the minimum wage is aligned PA’s He is committed to signing legislation guaranteeing a $15 minimum wage. On voting rights, the governor has worked to expand access to the polls and in defense of the environment, he has pressed Duke Energy to remove coal ash from its ponds. Governor Cooper’s strong stance in support of teacher raises and Medicaid expansion strongly align with the PA’s vision of a just and equitable North Carolina where all people can live and thrive.